ANOM加密设备案8名引渡分销商全部认罪：FBI曾秘密运营该网络
2025年2月7日，美国司法部南加州区联邦检察官办公室宣布，ANOM加密设备案中已引渡到美国的8名分销商已全部认罪。来自芬兰的 Alexander Dmitrienko 在位于加利福尼亚州圣迭戈县圣迭戈市的联邦法院认罪，成为8人中最后认罪的一人。至此，这桩由联邦调查局（FBI）秘密运营加密通信网络、再全球收网的大案，又向前推进一步。
这8人是2021年在圣迭戈被起诉的17名被告中的一部分，案件源于一项名为「特洛伊木马盾牌行动」（Operation Trojan Shield）的跨国执法行动。司法部称，FBI曾秘密运营ANOM加密信息网络，犯罪用户在不知情的情况下在这个由执法部门运营的系统上通信，调查人员由此秘密获取并审查了全球用户之间超过2700万条信息。ANOM企业向100个国家分发了超过12000台加密设备。
司法部称，ANOM设备被超过300个犯罪集团购买和使用，其中包括不法摩托车团伙、意大利与巴尔干有组织犯罪集团，以及国际贩毒组织。调查在2021年6月7日迎来全球收网：超过10000名执法人员在世界各地执行行动，逮捕超过500人，并搜查超过700处地点。整个调查累计约有1200人被捕，执法部门查获超过12吨可卡因、3吨甲基苯丙胺或安非他明、17吨前体化学品、300支枪械和5800万美元各国货币，还拆除了超过50个毒品实验室，并阻止了超过150起生命威胁。
认罪分几批完成。Seyyed Hossein Hosseini、Aurangzeb Ayub 与 Shane Ngakuru 已于2025年1月23日认罪，Dragan Nikitovic、Edwin Harmendra Kumar、Miwand Zakhimi 与 Osemah Elhassen 则在2024年5月至9月间认罪。8人均对替代起诉书的第一项指控——与ANOM企业有关的勒索共谋——认罪。在认罪之前，被告曾提出撤销起诉与排除ANOM证据的动议，联邦地区法院驳回了这些动议，认定第四修正案不适用于这些被告，ANOM数据收集也不违反美国宪法。
根据认罪协议，被告曾以「由罪犯为罪犯打造」来推广ANOM平台，并宣扬设备在被执法部门查获时可以远程擦除等安全功能。被告承认，该共谋的目的包括洗钱以及利用加密货币洗钱。2025年1月和2月认罪的 Hosseini、Dmitrienko、Ayub 与 Ngakuru 四人还承认，他们出售ANOM设备时明知设备将被用于贩运至少50公斤可卡因；Ngakuru 另承认涉及至少5公斤甲基苯丙胺的进口、出口与分销。
认罪协议与法庭文件还披露了几名被告各自的角色。Hosseini 是总部在荷兰的ANOM分销团队「Team Wijzijn」的一员，曾谈论纯度90%的秘鲁可卡因，也曾谈到把毒品从比利时运往澳大利亚。他还承认，在ANOM设备被执法部门查获时远程擦除设备、妨碍司法。Dmitrienko 从西班牙分发设备，多次利用ANOM谈论可卡因交易，还谈到通过他在特拉华州的一家公司洗钱。Ayub 在欧洲分发设备，也曾在阿联酋出售加密通信设备，并曾在迪拜因分发这类平台入狱；他谈到来自哥伦比亚的可卡因、向伦敦运送以及一次支付10万美元购毒款。Ngakuru 以泰国为据点，向泰国、新西兰与澳大利亚分发设备，大量参与可卡因与甲基苯丙胺贩运和洗钱，并与两起甲基苯丙胺查获有关，其中包括把7公斤甲基苯丙胺藏在商用灯具箱子里的做法。
8人分别从不同国家被引渡到南加州区：Kumar 来自澳大利亚，Elhassen 来自哥伦比亚，Hosseini、Ayub 与 Zakhimi 来自荷兰，Dmitrienko 与 Nikitovic 来自西班牙，Ngakuru 来自泰国。Elhassen 与 Zakhimi 此前已被分别判处63个月和60个月监禁，其余6名已认罪被告定于2025年2月、4月和5月宣判。本案另有8名被告已在美国境外被捕、尚未引渡，还有1人在逃。本案案号为 21cr1623-JLS，第一项勒索共谋指控的最高刑为20年监禁，并可处罚金最高25万美元，或犯罪所得或损失的两倍。
联邦检察官 Tara McGrath 说：「本案的数字令人震惊。FBI主导了这场史无前例的多年合作，利用证据打击全球各地的可卡因、甲基苯丙胺与现金贩运者。这些认罪表明国际伙伴关系在瓦解有组织犯罪方面的作用。」FBI圣迭戈分局特别探员主管 Stacey Moy 说，特洛伊木马盾牌行动是一桩规模巨大、富有创新且史无前例的案件，对全球犯罪组织的影响难以估量，这一成果来自依靠聪明才智、伙伴关系与坚持的调查策略，为在美国及海外瓦解有组织犯罪提供了一个范本。
本案由助理联邦检察官 Joshua C. Mellor、Mikaela L. Weber 与 Peter S. Horn 承办，调查机构包括 FBI、缉毒局（DEA）、美国法警局与司法部国际事务办公室等多家美国与外国执法机构。该行动属于「有组织犯罪毒品执法特别行动」（OCDETF）调查的一部分，司法部国际事务办公室在确保被告被捕与引渡到美国方面提供了重要协助。
（来源：美国司法部）
All 8 Extradited ANOM Encrypted-Device Distributors Plead Guilty: FBI Secretly Ran the Network
On February 7, 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California announced that all eight extradited distributors of ANOM hardened encrypted communication devices have pleaded guilty. Alexander Dmitrienko of Finland pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego, a city in San Diego County, California, becoming the last of the eight to do so. The pleas mark another step in a case built around an encrypted network the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) secretly operated before a worldwide takedown.
The eight were among 17 defendants indicted in San Diego in 2021 in connection with Operation Trojan Shield, an international law enforcement effort in which the FBI secretly operated an encrypted messaging network. According to the Justice Department, the ANOM enterprise distributed more than 12,000 devices in 100 countries. While ANOM's criminal users unknowingly communicated on the system operated by law enforcement, agents catalogued more than 27 million messages between users around the world, whose criminal discussions were covertly obtained and reviewed by the FBI.
The Justice Department said ANOM devices were sold to and used by over 300 criminal syndicates, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, Italian and Balkan organized crime groups, and international drug trafficking organizations. The investigation culminated in a worldwide takedown on June 7, 2021, during which more than 10,000 law enforcement officers made over 500 arrests and searched over 700 locations around the world. In total, the investigation resulted in approximately 1,200 arrests; the seizure of more than 12 tons of cocaine, three tons of methamphetamine or amphetamines, 17 tons of precursor chemicals, 300 firearms, and $58 million in various currencies; the dismantling of more than 50 drug labs; and the prevention of over 150 threats to life.
The guilty pleas came in stages. Seyyed Hossein Hosseini and Aurangzeb Ayub of the Netherlands and Shane Ngakuru of New Zealand entered their guilty pleas on January 23, 2025, and Dragan Nikitovic, Edwin Harmendra Kumar, Miwand Zakhimi, and Osemah Elhassen pleaded guilty between May and September 2024. All eight pleaded guilty to Count 1 of a superseding indictment charging them with a racketeering conspiracy in connection with the ANOM enterprise. Before their pleas, the defendants filed motions to dismiss the indictment and to suppress the ANOM evidence; the District Court denied those motions, concluding that the Fourth Amendment did not apply to the defendants and that the ANOM data collection did not violate the U.S. Constitution.
According to their plea agreements, the defendants promoted the ANOM platform as "Built by criminals for criminals," and touted security features such as the ability to wipe devices remotely when seized by law enforcement. The defendants admitted that the conspiracy's purposes included money laundering and laundering with cryptocurrency. The four defendants who pleaded guilty in January and February 2025 - Hosseini, Dmitrienko, Ayub, and Ngakuru - all admitted that they sold ANOM devices knowing that they would be used to traffic at least 50 kilograms of cocaine; Ngakuru also admitted the importation, exportation, and distribution of at least five kilograms of methamphetamine.
The plea agreements and other court filings also describe the defendants' individual roles. Hosseini was part of a team of ANOM distributors, "Team Wijzijn," based in the Netherlands; he and Dmitrienko discussed the distribution of "90% pure, Peruvian" cocaine, and he and Kumar messaged each other about bringing "kilos" from Belgium and getting drugs to Australia by "Fisher boats." Hosseini also admitted to obstructing justice through wiping ANOM devices when they were seized by law enforcement. Dmitrienko distributed ANOM devices from Spain and frequently used ANOM for cocaine and other drug distribution, and he promoted money laundering through a company he had in Delaware. Ayub was an ANOM distributor in Europe who also sold encrypted communications devices in the U.A.E. and had been imprisoned in Dubai for distributing these types of platforms; he was involved in cocaine distribution, talking about cocaine from Colombia and delivery to London, and sending "100k at a time" to pay for the drugs. Ngakuru was based in Thailand, distributing ANOM devices there and in New Zealand and Australia; he used the platform for extensive cocaine and methamphetamine distribution and money laundering, was tied to two seizures of methamphetamine, and detailed in messages how seven kilograms of methamphetamine was concealed in boxes of "commercial lights."
The eight were extradited to the Southern District of California from Australia (Kumar), Colombia (Elhassen), the Netherlands (Hosseini, Ayub, and Zakhimi), Spain (Dmitrienko and Nikitovic), and Thailand (Ngakuru). Elhassen and Zakhimi were previously sentenced to 63 and 60 months in prison, respectively; the other six defendants who have pleaded guilty were scheduled to be sentenced in February, April, and May 2025. Eight other defendants in the case have been arrested in locations outside the United States and are yet to be extradited, and one remains a fugitive. The case number is 21cr1623-JLS. Count 1, racketeering conspiracy under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d), carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss.
"The statistics of this case are staggering," said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. "The FBI led this unprecedented collaboration for years, harnessing the evidence to bring down cocaine, meth, and cash traffickers across the globe. These guilty pleas underscore the impact of international partnerships in dismantling organized crime." FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy said Operation Trojan Shield was "a massive, innovative, and unprecedented case having immeasurable implications to criminal organizations across the globe," and that the extraordinary impact came from an investigative strategy that relied on ingenuity, partnerships, and perseverance, designing a blueprint for disrupting organized crime within the United States and abroad.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua C. Mellor, Mikaela L. Weber, and Peter S. Horn. Investigating agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, along with foreign law enforcement partners. Operation Trojan Shield is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, and the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants to the United States.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
来源：美国司法部
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：位于圣迭戈的爱德华·J·施瓦茨联邦法院大楼（美国联邦司法系统摄，公共领域）；ANOM 案由加州南区联邦检察官办公室起诉。 / Photo: The Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse in San Diego (U.S. Federal Judiciary, public domain); the ANOM case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California.
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